A small spot for me to publish random thoughts that might help other writers find that tiny voice echoing feebly inside their heads.

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

I Love Dialogue - First Love Excerpt 2

First
Love is set in 1975. A church youth group is on a mission trip to New
Mexico, helping to build a model of a Spanish torreón,
or tower, with adobe bricks. Working along side them is the
minister's son, Gabe. He's their age, but seems much more mature to
the girls from the youth group. He's clearly interested in Maddie
and, to Clayton's dismay, she seems very interested in him. This
scene takes place during lunch one day. Patti is Maddie's best
friend.

Gabe
sat next to Maddie. Very close. Clayton could barely see daylight
between them. He was sharing her plate of chips and pico
de gallo.
Maddie rarely shared her food. Clayton bridled when he saw them.
Patti's hand on his arm made him relax a little. Taking a deep
breath, he walked toward Maddie, grabbing a Dr. Pepper from the
cooler as he passed.

"Hey,
Mads. Need a beverage?"

Maddie
looked up, puzzled. "I've got one, Clayton. Thanks."

Clayton
popped open the can. It spewed all over him, bubbling and frothing.
Fortunately, he was already damp, so the additional fluid didn't
matter. Had he been dry to begin with, it would have made him look
like he'd wet his pants.

"You're
gonna want to wash that off," Gabe advised, glancing up at him.
"The wasps and ants really love that stuff."

"Thanks.
Yeah." Shaking Dr. Pepper off his hands, Clayton went to the
back of the building and turned on the garden hose, rather than the
fire hose. He had no intention of spraying himself into oblivion.

Patti
followed. "That went well."

"Shut
up."

"You
want her? Bring your A Game."

"What
if I don't have one? What if bumbling buffoon is
my A Game? Huh?"

Patti
crossed her arms, eyeing him in disgust. "What I saw last night
in the bathroom, that was A Game. This—I don't know what this is."
She waved her hands angrily.

Clayton
leaned close, talking quietly. "I'm terrified! I can't go up to
her now and lay one on her. And I sure can't go up and flirt when
she's with him."

"Fine.
Sneak another grope in the bathroom." She stalked away.

Clayton
shut off the hose and put it away. He wanted to be alone, but knew
better than to run off. Instead, he wandered behind the building and
sat on stack of lumber.